Two-flow base-exchange water softener



' April 12 1927.

TWO-FLOW BASE EXCHANGE WATER SOFTENER `FilecLNov. 14, 1925 DAQ Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

This invention relates to a base exchange water softener, particularly /tVmprovements whereby a finer base exchange mineral ma be used.

two-flow softener with means whereb the usual free-board space may be practlcally eliminated.

A further object is to provide a base exthe usual waste 'caused by mineral being carried away with the softened water.

.Another object of this invention is to provide means for eliminating or reducing the waste commonly caused L.by back-washing during regenerating periods between the process of softening.

This invention further provides a construction whereby the usual upflow method, together with the downfiow method will be combined thereby filtering the raw Water before it comes in contact withthe softening liase exchange mineral, also filtering the softened water ia second time after it has passed through another bed of base exchange material or mineral and before it leaves the softener to the soft water Al'ine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a longer flow for the water passing through the mineral thereb increasing the rate of fiow per minute o the 'soft water passing through the softener. An object is also to provide means for f brining orA regenerating the mineral whereby p: the brining is neither. put in the bottom of the softener, nor the top/of the softener, but at a point between the mineral.

Further objects of this invention will appear in the following detailed description of 0 the device and as disclosed in the single sheet of the application. i

In the drawing, y

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevatlonal 5 view of a two-flowbase vexchange water softener. l

Figure 2 illustrates a sectional elevational view of a modified form of Figure 1.

Similar numerals in the different figures 0 of the drawings represent identical parts or elements in the water softener.

Numeral 1 designates a pipe through which the raw water enters the softener and flows up through a distributing plate or a 5 system of perforated pipes as at 2, which UNITED STATES.

CHESTER T. MGILL, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO REITER COMPANY, OF ELGIN,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

5 n object of this invention is to provide a 10 change softener with means for eliminating `sections of the softener adapted to contain of drawings which is herewith made a partv l 1,624,614" PATENT oFFlcE.

. TWO-FLOW BASE-EXCHANGE WATER SOIFTENER.

Application led November 14, 1925. Serial No. 69,078.

alundum filtering material molded into fine particles or in crushed formas at 6.

It is apparent that by the time the water passes through these three filtering materials. the suspended material is largely filtered from the Water, and the water then passes up through the body of the base exchange mineral 7 and fiows up through the free-board space 8, down into a section 9, consisting of an upward 'extending portion of the downward flow section l0 ofthe softtener, the section 10 being slightly taperedv downwardly in order to keep the mineral 7 contained therein from becoming channelled. Obviously, the downwardly tapered sections containing the mineral for the downward fiow would necessarily shape the cooperative the mineral for the upward flowinto a. tapered form adapted to aid in maintaining the mineral fr ee from channels or the like. l The water fiows up through the free-board space 8 down into the section 9 through the .35 base exchange mineral 7 in the container section 10, and then through the filtering materials 6, 5 and 4 of the same material as adapted for use ,in the upflow portion` of the softener, and thence out into the soft water line 11. The receiving portion of the soft water line 11 .Which is preferably located at the bottom of the downwardly extending tank 10, is so arranged as to draw the water evenly from all, portions of the 9i bottom of the tank 10.

It has been the common practice to use an upflow softener making use of a mineral that runs fromy 8 to 30 mesh and when using this mineral a freeoa'rd space equiva-` lent from 50 to 100% of the space occupied by the mineral is required to reduce the Waste of mineral.

ILiability of waste is eliminated and a mineral running from to 200 mesh may 10! be used without loss. This adds greatly to the eiiciency of the softener for two reasons, one is, that 35% more mineral may be used; the other is, that the finer mineral carries a greater exchange capacity of 66% 110 than' the mineral .running from 8 to 3f)- has been a waste product and is by certain The increased amount of mineral used together with the finer mesh of mineral increases capacity ofa given size softener. over. 100%. Heretofore, this finer mineral manufacturers beinglstored up hoping that it may be used in some softener which would accommodate this finer mineral and this finer mineral canlbe obtained at a much 'less cost thanthe usualA coar'ser mineral from 8` to 30 mesh.

Obviously, the finer mineral will seek,

its placeat the top of themineral in the upflow. portlon and in vthe downward flow section of the softener during regenerating and back washing, the above described finer mineral will be largely lifted and carried from the downflow of the softener into thev upward flow portion.- -It is apparent vfrom the above description, that increased capacities are brought about by using a finer mineral with greater exchange capacities per cubic foot, also, byhaving a combined up and down' flow softener which consumes a greater per cent of the capacity of the exchange mineral or material before it becomes necessary to regenerate, for the following rfiasons in additiontto those given above. i

vIn the common construction ofbase softeners of the up and down liow type, the mineral coming in contact with the-water first, will exhaust itself and the water willA register hard in the outlet before the top i portion ofi the mineral is exhausted thereby losing some of the real^capacity ofthe mineral. In the construction described in thi's invention the loss due to the above.

causes' aregreatly'cut down, and approximately eliminated. The hardness in the incomingwater will be absorbed by the mineral in the lower bed of the mineral 7, and ifsamples of water were taken from the top -of the softener, it -would register sev-l eral degrees of hardness, and if only an upflow softener was used, regenerating wouldl` obviously be'required. Itbecomes appar'- ent, however thatin the two-flow softener described in this invention, that should the water contain for illustration, 5 to 10 grains of hardness when it reached the top of tlie two-flow. softener, the mineral contained in fthe downflow .portion 10 would absorb the hardness as lit passes down through the bed of mineral 7 lin the downward tank 10, and the water would pass out soft into the ysoft water line 11.

By experimentation it' has been demon# strated that the exchange capacities of the mineral up tothe first 18 or 2O inches from the bottom of the upward flow, portionof the softener, would be almost .entirely conl sumed and the exchange capacity of the s mineral near the top of the upward flow portion would have considerable exchange capacity left aud thewater would registei` Y hard at the top.

In considering the advantages of this in- V- vention, it will be apparent that the water -has a much longer travel through the mineral of the. upflow portion due to using a portion o f the usuall free-board space for the base exchange mineral. This, with the additional capacity of he downflow portion, the softener, as which contains a larger percent of theliner mineral, increases the capacity of the mlneral and the additional base exchange space for the water to pass through, removes any remaining hardness that would ordinarily be left in the common type of upflow softener. t

vIn this invention, the brine solution used is added at 12, byv means of an ejector or centrifugal pump or salt pot, in which case the finer mineralin downward flow portion 10 is lifted out of the downward iiow portion 1.0 and carried'over into the upward-flow portion of thesoftener. This largely leaves only the filtering material in the downward flow portion 10, and as the brine solution flows up through and with the fine base ex- -change mineral into the free-board space 8 above the upward flow portion of the softener, it becomes thoroughly saturated with the brine solution and the solution is car'- riedfdown into the coarser mineral as illustrated 1n the upward flow portion of the softener, and as this salt solution passes through the base exchange mineral, the sulphate and carbonate solids are replaced with sodium salts. Incrusting solids are removed by downward lflow portion 10'and lls it to the top with the ner base-rexchange mineral.

The softener is again ready for operation assoqnas a sample of water taken from 11 tests soft.

In operation, athis invention provides a i means for brining the base exchangevmineral by placing the salt solution int'o the base 4exchange mineral Aat approximately m1dway,'that..is, neither at the top nqr the bottom-of the mineraly but between the mineral and at points between the finer material andthe -coarser mineral. a Y

This method, eliminates any possibility of theiiner-mineral becoming packed, thereby e upward flow portion ofthe-softener erewith described 'i l ing and prevents the packing of the mineral.

f due to being acked in lum s and the brine solution noteing thoroug ly washed out when backwashed. lThe fact that the finer mineral is carried from the upflow portion of the softener to the downward flow portion 10 and vice versa during-the' backwashing and regenerating periods, breaks up any cak- The numeral 14 designates a surface blowdown pipe and is for the purpose'of removing im urities or scum that may pass by the up ow filtering materials 4, 5 and 6, and

lodged in the fine baseI exchangeA materia in the down flow portion 10 or lilisV nall tering material 6, 5 and 4.

When backwashed with the salt solution,

the impurities are washed up into the free`l board space 8, the scum or impurities may be vblown out into a sewer or otherwise, by opening a valve on line 14. The downward flow portion 10, may, for convenience, as disclosed in Figure 2 be placed at the side of the tank, or the downward flow portion 10 may be located in other suitable positions within the softener tank 3 as at'Figure 1.

The tapering eifects given to the upward and downward flow portions of the softener are ada ted to facilitate a downward movement 'o the base exchange mineral along the walld surfaces so as to close up any channels or pgces that otherwise mi ht form illi'atllsie so ning or backwa'shing o the mine l It is to be understood that in this inven-l f tion, the hard, raw water may be supplied to the softener either through 'the pipe portions 1 orthe lpipe portions 11.

WhatIclaim is: l. A base exchange water softener com- /prising a tank, an auxiliary container within the tank, multiple layers of filtering material in the tank and in the container, base ex-. change material supported on'the filtering' material, means for introducing Ili uid selectively in the tank and container filtering material, the tank A,and container being in open communication so that the fine loose exchange material may be carried from one bed to the other .by the flow. of liquid throuh 'the apparatus 1n either direction.

2. base exchange water softener comprising a tank, an auxiliary container within elow the y the tank, multiple layers of filtering material4 in thev tank and in the container, base ex-A change material supported on the filtering material, means for introducing li uid selectively in the tank and container elow the filtering material, the tank and container being in open communication vso that the lfine loose exchange material may be care' ried from one bed to the other by the flow of liquid through the apparatus u 'either direction, the container havingI al 4downwardlytapered portion for the purpose of preventing channelling during downward ow of water through t e container.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. l. CHESTER T. McGILL. 

